| Type: | NASWINSTON |
| Course Km: | 4.28 |
| Caption: | The 1999 DieHard 500 program cover. |
| Pole Time: | 48.421 |
| First Team: | Richard Childress Racing |
| First Driver: | Dale Earnhardt |
| Attendance: | 100,000 |
| Announcers: | Bob Jenkins, Benny Parsons |
| Radio: | Motor Racing Network |
| Network: | ABC |
| Most Team: | Richard Childress Racing |
| Car: | 3 |
| Most Laps: | 70 |
| Most Driver: | Dale Earnhardt |
| Pole Driver: | Ken Schrader |
| Avg: | 163.395mph |
| Location: | Lincoln, Alabama, Talladega Superspeedway |
| Pole Team: | Andy Petree Racing |
| Scheduled Km: | 804.8 |
| Distance Km: | 804.8 |
| Distance Laps: | 188 |
| Scheduled Laps: | 188 |
| Scheduled Mi: | 500.08 |
| Season No: | 34 |
| Race No: | 9 |
| Race Name: | DieHard 500 |
| Course Mi: | 2.66 |
| Date: | April 25 |
| Year: | 1999 |
| Distance Mi: | 500.08 |
| Official Name: | 30th Annual DieHard 500 |
The 1999 DieHard 500 was the ninth stock car race of the 1999 NASCAR Winston Cup Series season and the 30th iteration of the event. The race was held on Sunday, April 25, 1999, before an audience of 100,000 in Lincoln, Alabama at Talladega Superspeedway, a 2.66 miles (4.28 km) permanent triangle-shaped superspeedway. The race took the scheduled 188 laps to complete. In the final laps of the race, Richard Childress Racing driver Dale Earnhardt would manage to hold off the field on the final restart with 15 to go to win his 72nd career NASCAR Winston Cup Series victory and his first of the season.[1] [2] To fill out the podium, Robert Yates Racing driver Dale Jarrett and Roush Racing driver Mark Martin would finish second and third, respectively.
Talladega Superspeedway, originally known as Alabama International Motor Superspeedway (AIMS), is a motorsports complex located north of Talladega, Alabama. It is located on the former Anniston Air Force Base in the small city of Lincoln. The track is a tri-oval and was constructed in the 1960s by the International Speedway Corporation, a business controlled by the France family. Talladega is most known for its steep banking and the unique location of the start/finish line that's located just past the exit to pit road. The track currently hosts the NASCAR series such as the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series. Talladega is the longest NASCAR oval with a length of 2.66-mile-long (4.28 km) tri-oval like the Daytona International Speedway, which also is a 2.5-mile-long (4 km) tri-oval.
The first practice session was held on Friday, April 23, at 11:00 AM CST. The session would last for two hours and 55 minutes.[3] Joe Nemechek, driving for Team SABCO, would set the fastest time in the session, with a lap of 48.664 and an average speed of 196.777mph.[4]
| Pos. | Driver | Team | Make | Time | Speed | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Joe Nemechek | Team SABCO | Chevrolet | 48.664 | 196.777 | |
| 2 | 2 | Rusty Wallace | Penske-Kranefuss Racing | Ford | 48.688 | 196.680 | |
| 3 | 4 | Bobby Hamilton | Morgan–McClure Motorsports | Chevrolet | 48.772 | 196.342 | |
| Full first practice results | |||||||
The final practice session, sometimes referred to as Happy Hour, was held on Saturday, April 24, at 1:00